Method and Apparatus for Handling Perishable Items

ABSTRACT

A first container bag according to the present invention has top and bottom seals that are considered a lockup seal and an internal peel seal that will hold the gas and product in, but will also allow for ease of opening after removal of the top seal. This bag is such as that conventionally formed by use of VFFS technology, and includes the top and bottom end seals. However, the present invention provides additional features including a peel-away or otherwise separable seal, and a perforated segment. By tearing the bag at the perforated segment, the end seal may be bypassed, thus providing access to the internal separable “peel-away” seal. This configuration allows for a bag configuration which allows for the transportation of materials via the bag from a first, loading, location to a second, unloading, location, at which the items within the bag may be removed from the bag without the use of tools, and without tear-off discharge during the bag opening process. 
     A second container bag according to the present invention has a bottom seal that is considered a lockup seal and an upper peel seal. 
     A method of manufacturing and using each bag in a food service environment is also disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the full benefit and priority of pendingprovisional patent application No. 60/829,046, filed Oct. 11, 2006,entitled “Method and Apparatus for Handling Perishable Items”. Theentire contents of said application are incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the handling and packaging ofperishable items, and particularly relates to a method and apparatus forhandling perishable items which provides an improved manner of allowingperishable items to be readily unpackaged without the use of tools andwithout fragmenting the packaging.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Plastic bag containers for containing product articles are commonlyformed on vertical and horizontal form, fill and seal machines. Verticalform, fill and seal (VFFS) machines typically wrap film around a tube.Seals are made in the film to form a bag and product is dropped throughthe tube into the bag. Overwrap form, fill and seal machines typicallywrap film around a product and seal the film to form a bag. Horizontalform, fill and seal (HFFS) machines generally fold film, transverse sealinto a three sided package, drop product into the package, and seal thepackage closed.

Improvements to such existing related products and processes are alwaysdesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above and other needs are met by the present invention which, in oneembodiment, provides an improved container, a method of making same, anda method of using same.

The present invention further provides an improved food container.

The present invention further provides an improved food container whichincludes improved handling characteristics in that it can be openedwithout the use of tools such as scissors or knives.

The present invention further provides an improved food container whichincludes improved handling characteristics in that it can be openedwithout “fragmenting” or separating a piece of the container from themain body of the container, and thus providing a risk of contaminationof the food product with the container material.

The present invention also includes a method of making and/or using theabove-referenced food container (a.k.a. “bag”).

Aspects of the present invention thus provide these and otheradvantages, as further detailed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the following detailed description and upon reference to thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view of a plastic bag container 10 accordingto a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustrative view of a plastic bag container 110 accordingto a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the use of bag 10 in a foodprocessing environment.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the use of bag 110 in a foodprocessing environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While the present invention has been described with reference to one ormore particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognizethat many changes may be made thereto, without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. Each of these embodiments, and eachvariation thereof, is contemplated as falling within the spirit andscope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the followingclaims.

A. General Bag Construction and Details

The following discussion will include the description of two exemplarybag embodiments; First Bag Embodiment 10 and Second Bag Embodiment 110will first be described. Following this discussion, the manner in whichthe bags are manufactured, and ultimately used in a food processingenvironment, will be described.

1) First Bag Embodiment 10

Generally described, the first bag 10 according to the present inventionis such as that shown in FIG. 1. The first bag 10 has top and bottom“lockup” end seals 14, 16, respectively, and an internal, separable,“peel seal” 18 that will hold the gas and product in, but will alsoallow for ease of opening after removal of the top seal 14.

This first bag 10 is such as that conventionally formed by use of VFFStechnology, and includes the top and bottom end seals 14, 16,respectively. However, the present invention provides additionalfeatures including a peel-away or otherwise separable seal at 18, and aperforated segment 20 having a transverse partial perforation line 21.

It may be understood that by tearing the first bag 10 along theperforation line 21 segment 20, the upper end seal 14 may be bypassed,thus providing access to the internal separable “peel-away” seal 18(a.k.a. “peel seal” 18) .

As described in more detail elsewhere, this allows for a first bag 10configuration which allows for the transportation of materials via thefirst bag 10 from a first, loading, location to a second, unloading,location, at which the items within the bag may be removed from thefirst bag 10 without the use of tools, and without tear-off dischargeduring the bag opening process, thus resulting in a one-piece, intactbag which is not fragmented.

More Detailed Discussion of First Bag 10

As noted above, the first bag 10 according to the present invention issuch as that shown in FIG. 1. It should be understood that thedimensions of the drawing are for reference purposes only, and shouldnot be construed as limiting; the invention freely contemplates the useof different size containers.

As seen in FIG. 1, the first bag 10 includes the following elements:

-   -   Overlapped body portion 11    -   First secure seal 14    -   second secure end seal 16    -   longitudinal seal 17    -   first separable end seal 18    -   opposing side edges 19    -   perforation line 20    -   perforated segment 21    -   retention portion 22

The body portion 11 of the first bag 10 is composed of conventionalsheet material such as unrolled plastic sheeting, although otherappropriate materials may be used.

The first and second secure seals 14, 16, and the longitudinal seal 17are not intended to be re-opened, and are provided by conventional VFFStechnology, although other technology is not to be precluded from thecoverage of the invention. As such a web of the packaging material 11 isdrawn along a former (not shown) and then passes downwards in tubularformation; the edges are sealed longitudinally to provide theconventional longitudinal seal 17 as the packaging material movesdownwards (assuming, as is preferred, that the packaging material movescontinuously), after which horizontal seals are made at regularintervals to form individual bags. During this process, a measuredquantity of product to be packaged is dropped into each bag before a topseal is formed by sealing jaws which simultaneously form the bottom sealof the next bag. The sealing jaws commonly include a cutting devicewhich separates successive bags, and in this embodiment separate asingle seal into the two seals 14, 16.

In one exemplary embodiment of this invention, whole (processed)chickens are to be transferred from the first, bag loading, location(e.g. a poultry processing facility) to a second, bag unloading,location (e.g. a retail food service location). As such, it is desirableto discourage the introduction of materials other than the intended fooditems (e.g. plastic cuttings, strips, chips, etc) into the foodprocessing stream. In the prior art, it has been found that the use ofremovable tear-away strips cause such items to be introduced into thefood processing stream. Similarly, if a conventional bag is used whichrequires the use of cutting tools such as a knife or scissors, suchrequirements result in the occasional separation of plastic pieces fromthe main part of the bag. This is undesirable. Furthermore, there isdanger inherent in the existence and/or use of sharp edges proximatefood preparation personnel.

In order to address the above issues, a second type of seal 18 isprovided, that being a separable seal 18. This type of seal could alsobe referenced as a “peel seal” or “peel-away seal”, in that it ispreferably configured such that a typical human operator can provide asufficient gripping and separation force to separate the seal withoutthe use of tools either to cut or grip the material.

The top and bottom seals 14, 16, respectively, of the bag are alsoconsidered “lockup” seals; the seal 18 is considered an internal peelseal that will hold gas and product inside the bag, but will also allowfor manual, no-tools, opening after removal of the top seal 14.

Seals 14 and 16 can be provided simultaneously by the use of one sealingelement and a knife to provide the seals 14 and 16 as known in the art.The “peel-away” seal 18 may be provided by using an appropriate secondsealing element (moving with the first sealing element on a commonsealing bar, or moving independently of the first sealing element). Theperforated segment 20 and perforation line 21 can be provided bytechnology known in the art.

In order to unpack the contents of the bag, a food processing personnel(a.k.a. “user”, not shown) will manually tear the bag 10 at theperforated segment 20, while leaving the bridging retention section 22intact. This will keep the plastic containment bag 10 all “in onepiece”, thus enabling more reliable disposal or recycling of the bag 10.The food processing personnel will then separate the “peel away” seal,(typically by using one hand on each of two upper edges) providingaccess to the items within the bag. The items within the bag are thenunloaded from the bag 10, and the bag 10 is removed from the foodprocessing stream.

All seals 14, 16, and 18 are preferably configured to support the entireweight of the product. It may be understood that if the internalseparable seal 18 should separate or otherwise become breached beforethe perforated segment 20 is torn, the upper end seal 14 will still bethere as a backup seal.

Therefore it may be seen that this bag 10 is designed for back roompackaging and has a simplified opening feature that allows the bag to beopened without the use of sharp instruments or tearing of the bag. Afterbeing filled, the packages may be transported to a retail food location.They can then be handled by on-site personnel as needed.

It should be understood that this invention particularly allows for theeffective transportation of food elements within a marinating liquid.

2) Second Bag Embodiment 110

Generally described, the second bag 110 according to the presentinvention is such as that shown in FIG. 2. The second bag 110 has abottom lockup seal 116, respectively, and an upper peel seal 118 that isof suitable selected strength and integrity to hold the gas and productin, but is nevertheless capable of being separated manually by the useof a manually capable user.

This second bag 110 is such as that conventionally formed by use of VFFStechnology.

As described in more detail elsewhere, this allows for a second bag 110configuration which allows for the transportation of materials via thefirst bag 110 from a first, loading, location to a second, unloading,location, at which the items within the bag may be removed from thefirst bag 110 without the use of tools, and without tear-off dischargeduring the bag opening process.

More Detailed Discussion of Second Bag 110

As noted above, the second bag 10 according to the present invention issuch as that shown in FIG. 2. It should be understood that thedimensions of the drawing are for reference purposes only, and shouldnot be construed as limiting; the invention freely contemplates the useof different size containers.

As seen in FIG. 2, the first bag 10 includes the following elements:

-   -   Overlapped body portion 111    -   secure end seal 16    -   longitudinal seal 117    -   separable upper seal 118    -   opposing side edges 119

The body portion 111 of the second bag 110 is composed of conventionalsheet material such as unrolled plastic sheeting, although otherappropriate materials may be used.

The secure seal 116, and the longitudinal seal 117 are provided byconventional VFFS technology, although other technology is not to benecessarily precluded from the coverage of the invention. As such a webof the packaging material 111 is drawn along a former (not shown) andthen passes downwards in tubular formation; the edges are sealedlongitudinally to provide the conventional longitudinal seal 117 as thepackaging material moves downwards (assuming, as is preferred, that thepackaging material moves continuously), after which horizontal seals aremade at regular intervals to form individual bags. During this process,a measured quantity of product to be packaged is dropped into each bagbefore a top seal is formed by sealing jaws which simultaneously formthe bottom seal of the next bag. The sealing jaws commonly include acutting device which separates successive bags.

In one embodiment of this invention, whole (processed) chickens are tobe transferred from the first, bag loading, location (e.g. a poultryprocessing facility) to a second, bag unloading, location (e.g. a retailfood service location). As such, it is desirable to discourage theintroduction of materials other than the intended food items (e.g.plastic cuttings, strips, chips, etc) into the food processing stream.In the prior art, it has been found that the use of removable tear-awaystrips cause such items to be introduced into the food processingstream. Similarly, if a conventional bag is used which requires the useof cutting tools such as a knife or scissors, such requirements resultin the occasional separation of plastic pieces from the main part of thebag. This is undesirable. Furthermore, there is danger inherent in theexistence and/or use of sharp edges proximate food preparationpersonnel.

In order to address the above issues, a second type of seal 118 isprovided, that being a separable seal 118. This type of seal could alsobe referenced as a ‘peel away”, in that it is preferably configured suchthat a typical human operator can provide a sufficient force to separatethe seal without the use of tools either to cut or grip the material. Inone exemplary embodiment approximately 1.25 inches of free flap isprovided for the operator to grasp.

The bottom seals 116, respectively, of the bag are considered a “lockup”seals; the seal 118 is considered an internal peel seal that will holdgas and product inside the bag, but will also allow for manual,no-tools, opening.

Seals 116 can be provided by the use of a first sealing element toprovide the seals 116 as known in the art. The “peel-away” seal 116 maybe provided by using an appropriate second sealing element (moving withthe first sealing element on a common sealing bar, or movingindependently of the first sealing element). Cutting and perforation mayalso be done simultaneously or at some other step.

In order to unpack the contents of the bag, a food processing personnel(a.k.a. “user”, not shown) will separate the “peel away” seal 118,providing access to the items within the bag. The items within the bagare then unloaded from the bag 110, and the bag 110 is removed from thefood processing stream.

Seals 114, 116, and 118 are preferably configured to support the entireweight of the product.

B. Bag Making, Filling, Transport, and End Use

Reference is now made to FIGS. 3 and 4, which are flow charts 300 and400, respectively, illustrating methods of using the bags 10 and 110above in inventive processes according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 (Flow Chart 300)

Referring now also to FIG. 3, film rolls, including flexible packagingfilm as known in the art, are provided at Step 301. The film ismanufactured and selected as know in the art to meet thickness, barrier,sealing and other properties. Rolls are produced to meet a specific webwidth required by the customer.

The roll of film is mounted on the unwind of a VFFS machine with thepeelable seal oriented to the inside of the package to be formed. Thefilm is unwound and formed into a tube as is the typical convention. AtStep 302, the back (a.k.a., “longitudinal”) seal is made and is fusionsealed with typical temperatures at 300 F to 400 F. At this point, ifdesired, inert gas can be pumped down the fill tube to evacuate oxygento extend shelf life.

The end seals 14 and 16 are made with the cross direction (a.k.a.“transverse”) seal bars. For the particular bag being the subject of theflow chart 300, the seal 16 is made at Step 304. The machine indexes thefilm according to the prescribed length for each bag. The seal barsclose to fusion seal at 300 F to 400 F the top of the last bag made andthe bottom of the next to be sealed.

At Step 306, food product is charged into the bag, contained by the endseal 16 and the longitudinal seal 17.

At Step 308, three actions are provided, and can be done simultaneouslyor in a sub-sequence, as known in the art. In one embodiment, aperforation not the full width of the bag is made below the top fusionseal and above the peel seal which is made by using a secondary set ofsealing bars at temperatures typically 220 F to 300 F.

It may be understood that upon the completion of Step 308, “baggedproduct” is provided, which may be understood as being a discrete bagwith one or more food product elements inside.

At Step 310, the one or more (as an example four) bags of bagged productare loaded into a container such as a cardboard box or the like.

At Step 312, the boxes of bagged product are transported from a firstlocation (for example a food processing facility) to a second location(for example a food service facility).

At Step 314, the one or more (as an example four) bags of bagged productare unloaded from the container referenced in Step 314.

At Step 316, a user (e.g., a food service cook) does not need to usesharp implements to open the bag. The user opens the bag by pulling theperforated portion of the top fusion seal to expose the peel seal suchthat the seal can be breached, to access the food.

At Step 318, the emptied bag is discarded. Due to the configuration ofthe bag, preferably the entire bag which contained the food product hasremained intact, albeit in an opened state.

FIG. 4 (Flow Chart 400)

Referring now also to FIG. 4, film rolls, including flexible packagingfilm as known in the art, are provided at Step 401. The film is selectedand manufactured as known in the art to meet thickness, barrier, sealingand other properties. Rolls are produced to meet a specific web widthrequired by the customer.

The roll of film is mounted on the unwind of a VFFS machine with thepeelable seal oriented to the inside of the package to be formed. Thefilm is unwound and formed into a tube as is the typical convention. AtStep 402, the back (a.k.a., “longitudinal”) seal is made and is fusionsealed with typical temperatures are 300 F to 400 F. At this point, ifdesired, inert gas can be pumped down the fill tube to evacuate oxygento extend shelf life.

The end seal 116 is made with a cross direction (transverse) seal bar.For the particular bag being the subject of the Flow Chart 400, the seal116 is made at Step 404. The seal bars close to fusion seal this seal at300 F to 400 F. It may be understood that that this can be donesimultaneously with the provision of the peel seal of the previous bagin the bagging process.

The machine indexes the film according to the prescribed length for eachbag.

At Step 406, food product is charged into the bag, contained by the endseal 116 and the longitudinal seal 117.

At Step 408, the peel seal 118 is provided. It should be understood thatthis can be done simultaneously with the provision of the bottom seal ofthe next bag in the bagging process. A cutting process may also besimultaneously (or sequentially as desired) executed, thus detaching thesubject bag with product contained therein.

It may be understood that the top of the last bag produced is designedto have excess film above it to allow gripping the film to open theseal. In one embodiment of the invention this is approximately 1.25inches.

It may be understood that upon the completion of Step 408, “baggedproduct” is provided, which may be understood as being a discrete bagwith one or more food product elements inside.

At Step 410, the one or more (as an example four) bags of bagged productare loaded into a container such as a cardboard box or the like.

At Step 412, the boxes of bagged product are transported from a firstlocation (for example a food processing facility) to a second location(for example a food service facility).

At Step 414, the one or more (as an example four) bags of bagged productare unloaded from the container referenced in Step 314.

At Step 416, a user (e.g., a food service cook) does not need to usesharp implements to open the bag. The cook opens the bag by grasping theupper end of the bag and separating the peel seal to access the food.

At Step 418, the emptied bag is discarded. Due to the configuration ofthe bag, preferably the entire bag which contained the food product hasremained intact, albeit in an opened state.

C. Miscellaneous Comments

It may be understood that the bags 10, 110, in one preferred embodimentmay be used in MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) applications wherethe empty space in the bag is filled with an inert gas such as carbondioxide or nitrogen during the filling operation.

In one preferred embodiment the film thickness used to manufacture thebag is 3 mils thick (0.003 inches), although other thicknesses may beused without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

In one preferred embodiment, the film structure used in this applicationis a co-extrusion and is designed to run producing bags on a VFFSmachine at 40 bags per minute, although other films, processes, andrates may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

In one embodiment the end seals are ½ inch serrated seals as known inthe art. In one embodiment the longitudinal seal is a ½ inch wide backfin seal as known in the art.

In one preferred embodiment, the film is also designed to allow the useof bare metal jaws on the VFFS equipment, although other specificmethods and apparatuses may be used without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention.

The bag construction, apparatuses for manufacture, and manners of useonce the bag is manufactured and loaded, are all included as featuresunder the present invention.

It may be understood that the seals 14, 16, and 116 have substantiallysimilar seal characteristics, in that they are not intended to be openedor otherwise breached without significant difficulty or damage. Incontrast, the peel seals 18, 118 are intended to be opened; thus theycan be said to have different, less “intact”, sealing characteristicscompared to seals 14, 16, and 116.

It should be understood that the term “tubular” is not meant tonecessarily mean round, or even to have an appreciable space or volumeinside. For example, the body of the bags may be considered essentiallytubular along its length notwithstanding the existence of transversewelds lying along axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thefilm path.

1. A flexible bag for containing food products, said bag comprising: abody portion including a sheet of flexible material formed in a tubularmanner generally relative to a longitudinal bag axis extending along thelength of the tube; a longitudinal seal extending the length of saidbody portion and being generally aligned along said bag axis, saidlongitudinal seal configured to cooperate with said body portion so asto define a continuous tubular flexible material boundary such that adiscrete tubular length of flexible material is provided, said tubularlength having an upper end and a bottom end, and also having atransverse width; a transverse bottom seal portion configured to sealacross the width of said tubular length proximate said bottom end ofsaid tubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion having a firstsealing characteristic; a transverse upper seal portion configured toseal across the width of said tubular length proximate said upper end ofsaid tubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion also havingsaid first sealing characteristic; a transverse interior seal portionconfigured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximatesaid upper end of said tubular length but spaced further down from saidupper end of said tubular length than is said transverse upper sealportion, such that said transverse upper seal portion is intermediatesaid upper edge of said tubular length and said transverse interior sealportion, and such that said body portion, longitudinal seal portion,bottom seal portion, and interior seal portion combine to define aproduct storage volume, said transverse interior seal portion having asecond sealing characteristic being less intact than said first sealingcharacteristic; and a transverse partially perforated portionintermediate said transverse upper seal portion and said transverseinterior seal portion, said transverse partially perforated portionconfigured to facilitate its tearing along a perforation line extendingpartially but not completely transversely across said tube width, saidbody portion, longitudinal seal, first and second transverse end seals,said perforated portion, and said transverse interior seal configured tocooperate to allow a user to tear said perforated portion along saidperforation line, separate said transverse interior seal, and removesaid food products from said content storage portion, said top sealconfigured to provide a secondary barrier should said transverse sealbecome prematurely ruptured.
 2. The flexible bag as claimed in claim 1,wherein said first sealing characteristic provides a serrated seal. 3.The flexible bag as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second sealingcharacteristic provides a peel-apart seal.
 4. The flexible bag asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said second sealing characteristic providesa peel-apart seal.
 5. A method of continuously forming, filling andsealing bags, comprising: forming a tube of film including a tubularlength with a longitudinal seal, and feeding the film tube verticallydownward; providing a transverse bottom seal configured to seal acrossthe width of said tubular length proximate said bottom end of saidtubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion having a firstsealing characteristic; providing a transverse upper seal portionconfigured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximatesaid upper end of said tubular length, said transverse bottom sealportion also having said first sealing characteristic; providing atransverse interior seal portion configured to seal across the width ofsaid tubular length proximate said upper end of said tubular length butspaced further down from said upper end of said tubular length than issaid transverse upper seal portion, such that said transverse upper sealportion is intermediate said upper edge of said tubular length and saidtransverse interior seal portion, and such that said body portion,longitudinal seal portion, bottom seal portion, and interior sealportion combine to define a product storage volume, said transverseinterior seal portion having a second sealing characteristic being lessintact than said first sealing characteristic; and providing atransverse partially perforated portion intermediate said transverseupper seal portion and said transverse interior seal portion, saidtransverse partially perforated portion configured to facilitate itstearing along a perforation line extending partially but not completelytransversely across said tube width, such that a bag is providing suchthat said body portion, longitudinal seal, first and second transverseend seals, said perforated portion, and said transverse interior sealconfigured to cooperate to allow a user to tear said perforated portionalong said perforation line, separate said transverse interior seal, andremove said food products from said content storage portion, and saidtop seal configured to provide a secondary barrier should saidtransverse seal become prematurely ruptured.
 6. The flexible bag asclaimed in claim 5, wherein said first sealing characteristic provides aserrated seal.
 7. The flexible bag as claimed in claim 6, wherein saidsecond sealing characteristic provides a peel-apart seal.
 8. Theflexible bag as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second sealingcharacteristic provides a peel-apart seal.
 9. A method for processingfood products, said method comprising the following steps: A) providinga plurality of food product-containing bags each including a flexiblebag containing food products, each said product-containing bag itselfcomprising: 1) a body portion including a sheet of flexible materialformed in a tubular manner generally relative to a longitudinal bag axisextending along the length of the tube; 2) a longitudinal seal extendingthe length of said body portion and being generally aligned along saidbag axis, said longitudinal seal configured to cooperate with said bodyportion so as to define a continuous tubular flexible material boundarysuch that a discrete tubular length of flexible material is provided,said tubular length having an upper end and a bottom end, and alsohaving a transverse width; 3) a transverse bottom seal portionconfigured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximatesaid bottom end of said tubular length, said transverse bottom sealportion having a first sealing characteristic; 4) a transverse upperseal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular lengthproximate said upper end of said tubular length, said transverse bottomseal portion also having said first sealing characteristic; 5) atransverse interior seal portion configured to seal across the width ofsaid tubular length proximate said upper end of said tubular length butspaced further down from said upper end of said tubular length than issaid transverse upper seal portion, such that said transverse upper sealportion is intermediate said upper edge of said tubular length and saidtransverse interior seal portion, and such that said body portion,longitudinal seal portion, bottom seal portion, and interior sealportion combine to define a product storage volume including said foodproducts, said transverse interior seal portion having a second sealingcharacteristic being less intact than said first sealing characteristic;and 6) a transverse partially perforated portion intermediate saidtransverse upper seal portion and said transverse interior seal portion,said transverse partially perforated portion configured to facilitateits tearing along a perforation line extending partially but notcompletely transversely across said tube width, said body portion,longitudinal seal, first and second transverse end seal portions, saidperforated portion, and said transverse interior seal configured tocooperate to store said food products yet to subsequently allow a userto tear said perforated portion along said perforation line, separatesaid transverse interior seal, and remove said food products from saidcontent storage portion, and said top seal configured to provide asecondary barrier should said transverse seal become prematurelyruptured; B) accumulating a plurality of said product-containing bagsinto a container; C) transporting said container including saidplurality of said product-containing bags from a first location to asecond location; D) removing at least one of said product-containingbags from said container while at said second location; E) tearing saidperforated portion along said perforation line transverse such that saidpartially perforated portion is torn but said flexible bag is still inone piece; F) subsequent to step “E”, rupturing said transverse innerseal to provide access to said food product within said product storagevolume; G) removing said food product from within said product storagevolume such that said flexible bag is separate from said food products;and H) discarding said flexible bag while said flexible bag is still inone piece.
 10. A method for processing food products, said methodcomprising the following steps: A) providing a plurality of foodproduct-containing bags each including a flexible bag containing foodproducts, each said product-containing bag itself comprising: 1) a bodyportion including a sheet of flexible material formed in a tubularmanner generally relative to a longitudinal bag axis extending along thelength of said tube; 2) a longitudinal seal extending the length of saidbody portion and being generally aligned along said bag axis, saidlongitudinal seal configured to cooperate with said body portion so asto define a continuous tubular flexible material boundary such that adiscrete tubular length of flexible material is provided, said tubularlength having an upper end and a bottom end, and also having atransverse width; 3) a transverse bottom seal portion configured to sealacross the width of said tubular length proximate said bottom end ofsaid tubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion having a firstsealing characteristic; and 4) a transverse upper seal portionconfigured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximatesaid upper end of said tubular length, such that said body portion,longitudinal seal portion, bottom seal portion, and upper seal portioncombine to define a product storage volume including said food products,said transverse interior seal portion having a second sealingcharacteristic being less intact than said first sealing characteristic;said body portion, longitudinal seal, upper and bottom end portions, andsaid transverse interior seal configured to cooperate to store said foodproducts yet to subsequently allow a user to manually grasp said bag andseparate said transverse interior seal, and remove said food productsfrom said content storage portion; B) accumulating a plurality of saidproduct-containing bags into a container; C) transporting said containerincluding said plurality of said product-containing bags from a firstlocation to a second location; D) removing at least one of saidproduct-containing bags from said container while at said secondlocation; E) rupturing said transverse inner seal to provide access tosaid food product within said product storage volume; G) removing saidfood product from within said product storage volume such that saidflexible bag is separate from said food products; and H) discarding saidflexible bag while said flexible bag is still in one piece.